Sydney, October 2000

“Our next guest has found fame for his wide range of on-screen roles from the classic comedy “Withnail & I” to big budget Hollywood films like “The Player”, “Portrait Of A Lady” and “Spiceworld”. Here’s a look:

As an introduction to the interview a clip from Withnail and I is shown. It is near the start of the film, Withnail and I are walking though the park. Withnail is berating his lack of employment.

Returning to the studio an auburn-haired female (Tracy Grimshaw) announces to camera:

“His name, of course, is Richard E Grant. He’s in Australia where he’s just finished filming the family movie “Hildegarde” and he joins us now. Good Morning.”

The camera focuses on Richard seated nearby and they exchange good mornings. It is 8.20 am and Richard looks too good, obviously very awake, slightly tanned and attired in denim jacket over a blue shirt.

“You didn’t watch that then? Do you not look at yourself?”, the interviewer asks.

“Well it’s a bit like hearing your voice on a tape recorder,” Richard replies with a self-effacing smile. “It’s very embarrassing. And you can’t fix it. And it’s also 10…..14 years ago so……Do you like watching yourself?”

“No, I never do,” admitted the interviewer.

“Exactly,” Richard responses.

“But I guess you’re in a different business,” she persists with a giggle. “My stuff goes out there live. I never have to look at myself afterwards, but in movies you sort of have to, Don’t you?”

“No you don’t,” insists Richard with a smile. “ You just go do the looping and then you get out as soon as possible.”

“Okay. You’ve been in Australia filming Hildegarde which is about a talking duck, I believe? Is that right?”

“Ummmm, yeah,” confirms Richard. “And I’ve been working with three child actors; Gezelle Byrnes, Sam Greer and Dayne Hudson who have never, as far as I know, acted before. So I’m competing with children and animals and birds. So no chance.”

“It’s the WC Fields curse, isn’t it.”

“Yeah completely.”

“Do you make many children’s films? I was looking at your body of work and it seemed to me as there were not a lot.”

“No. I did one with the Spice Girls because my daughter, who was 8 at the time, was a big Spice Girl fan – and remains so. So I did that for her.”

A clip is shown from Spice World featuring a speedboat with Richard’s character standing watching on a bridge. The interview continues over the clip.

“And this one again,” continues Richard referring to Hildegarde. “She said to me why can’t I see films that are not X-rated, or 15, or whatever? So hence doing this film.”

“How old is she now? This is Olivia isn’t it?”

“11 and a half,” he replied. Then with a slight tease in his voice he comments, “So all of your research is excellent ”

After an embarrassed laugh she suggests, “I would imagine that fatherhood has made you – particularly at this age because she’s probably a sponge for all that information now – has made you a bit choosier about what’s available for kids to watch? Is that fair to say?”

“Ummm, yeah probably,” agrees Richard. The clip finishes and we are back in studio as Richard continues. “Just that when you go on school holidays and stuff, the stuff that’s out here that they can go and see is fairly limited. So I did one last year as well. Sounds like it’s what I’m moving into, but I did one last year called the Little Vampire which has just come out in the States and in England. Which again is about little vampires…..with Jonathan Lipnicki from Stuart Little.”

“So this is the new direction.”

“No! This is it!” Richard laughs as he waves his left hand making a cutting gesture.

“No more kids films,” laughs the presenter. “I was trawling though the internet last night to sort of get the big picture on Richard E Grant, and I found you described as everything from a sex symbol to a meerkat on speed.”

“You’re a marvellous woman,” exclaims Richard in delight as he leans forward to touch her arm.

“Ummmm, a meerkat on speed?” he muses. “I haven’t heard of that one but I’ll go with it this morning. It’s laughable”

Interviewer giggles. “Sex symbol.” She studies her notes then continues. “I also logged on to a chat room where you’d answered questions – You’ve been asked to sign autographs on peoples bottoms, I believe?”

“I have,” confirmed Richard. “And I have an official website now which was started by a fan called Dominique Falls (sic) in Melbourne…..”

“Yeah, I got that.”

“So I owe whatever I have in Australia to her.”

“How hard is it to avoid being typecast? I mean you’ve also been compared with people like Hugh Grant and I can’t personally see the comparison and I don’t think your work……..”

“I think it’s just the surname,” suggests Richard. Then he smiles. “I’m much older and I have far less hair than Hugh and I’m not with Elizabeth Hurley. Although he doesn’t seem to be anymore.” Richard than pensively answers the original question. “I think that because I played a drunken, alcoholic, out of work, actor in my first film that I was ever in Withnail and I. Whenever people who are completely off their faces, freaks or whatever I’m generally in that category. And if I’d probably played any other kind of part maybe my career might have gone a different direction. I don’t know. It’s hard to say.”

“Have you tried very hard – I mean obviously you’ve done the kids films lately – You’re not doing any more. Have you tried to make sure you always do something a little bit different?”

“Well I try to yeah. But there’s a terrible thing where you actually see bits, when you have to do the dubbing afterwards. And you think ‘Oh you’re just the same in absolutely everything.’ And there are enough people out there, and critics, who say well he is just the same in everything. So I don’t know, It’s an ongoing struggle.” Richard smiles.

“I must ask you the time.” Interviewer giggles.

“Yes.” He smiles

“What is the time, Richard?”

Richard looks at his left wristwatch. “Well, the time in England is now 20 past 9 at night. I was terrible at maths.” Glances at right wristwatch. “And the time here is 20 past 8.”

“You always wear two watches?”

“Yeah. Because I grew up in Africa so I call people in Swaziland, where I grew up, a lot. And if you call people at three in the morning you will appreciate why my maths is so bad that it’s better just to have one on each.”

“Do you reflect on the great contrasts in your life? I mean, where you are now and what you’re doing now, with how you grew up?”

“Oh God yeah. Because I grew up in a place that had 12,000 people and, ummmm, I don’t know where Wonga Wonga is but…Is that a small place?”

“Wagga Wagga,” corrects the interviewer with a smile.

“Wagga Wagga, sorry. Okay well I grew up in the Wagga Wagga of Africa, where the chances of becoming an actor are so ridiculous, and remote, that it just seemed impossible. So to have ended up, working with the people I have done, is just like a complete dream come true. Especially in movies as well. Because when I was in drama school they said well you know you’re too weird looking. You’ll never ever be in a movie. So you believe all these things so I’m glad that man – who’s now dead – was wrong.”

“Well he got his then!” retorts interviewer with a giggle.

“Yeah,” agrees Richard.

“Cause you’ve made a movie haven’t you – or you’re in the process of making a movie…..”

“I am, yeah. I’ve written one which is set in Africa at the end of the sixties and It’s really autobiographical about my father – It’s his story – which I am going to direct. And I’ve done all the ‘reccies’ and met the King of Swaziland, two months ago, and he’s given me use of the army and 5,000 warriors. All this is going to be a big departure for me.”

“And it’s called Wah! Wah!”

“Wah! Wah! Yeah. Which refers to the way American women identify the way upper-middle-class, English, poms spoke in the colonial era.” Richard pulls a face and emits some guffing type noises. “They’re all speaking wah wah,” he confirms.

“Well okay, you’re heading back to England? Today?……”

“I am. It’s a five day flight.”

“……With your raincoat? Your gumboots?”

“Listen,” responds Richard, “I’ve been on the Gold Coast where it’s rained for the last 4 weeks, every day!”

“We’d like to apologize for that.”

“Oh no. Not at all. But when I see ‘Queensland the sunshine state.’ Richard’s fingers draw out the rectangle of the advertising slogan. “I thought well maybe I can sue them for this, because I haven’t seen any yet.”

“Go on. Have a go!” urges interviewer.

“Yeah, but I hear you had 63 days of drought before that.”

“That’s true. Thank you for being with us this morning.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Have a safe trip home.”

“Thank you. No sharks!”

One of the difficulties with a transcript is conveying the mood of the interview. Whether it was end-of-term high spirits, or the fact that an attractive female was interviewing him, Richard was really relaxed throughout and seemed to enjoy the experience.

Transcribed by Denise J Hale & Cameron Miller
7th February 2002.

PS. Hugh Grant’s DOB is 9-9-60, Richard’s 5-5-57. I know Richard says his maths are bad but that is only 3 years 4 months. So not a lot!